Orchestra Week
March 30-April 5, 2025
Trip details
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• For musicians ages 17-26
• Rehearse and perform in a chamber orchestra made up of students from across the US and Cuba
• Participate in a weeklong intercultural experience
• Receive 4 hours of service learning by volunteering in schools and/or packing/delivering humanitarian supplies
• Learn outside your comfort zone and get to know the Cuban culture
Learn more at our online Q&A on Monday, January 6, 7:30 pm CT by emailing us for a link!
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• Airfare (with logistical assistance from CAYO) and passport expenses (or opt for the group flight with CAYO for a $650 supplement)
• Meals while en route to and from Cuba
• Spending money for souvenirs or personal purchases
• Tips for local guides
• Vaccinations and medications needed for travel
• Any transportation, lodging, or meals outside of the group
• Mini-bar expenses in individual rooms
• Donation of supplies, musical equipment or humanitarian items (up to $250)
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$2200 tuition payment includes:
• Cuban tourist visa, required for entry
• Room/en-suite bathroom in private casa
• Classes and workshops with US and Cuba teaching artists
• Visits to schools for the performing arts
• Cultural activities and excursions
• Ground transportation, including airport pick-up and drop-off
• All meals
• 4 hours community service
• Final concert and party
• CAYO t-shirt
Round-trip airfare on group booking with CAYO is available for a $650 supplemental fee; please indicate on registration form if you are interested in this option
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Expect a Zoom call with CAYO leadership in advance of your trip, where you will receive a detailed itinerary and pre-travel information specific to Cuba. You will also receive a student handbook.
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CAYO works directly with owners of independent houses for rent (casas particulares) in the safe and quiet neighborhoods of Vedado and Miramar. These comfortable, well-appointed homes offer daily breakfast, air-conditioned bedrooms, and a staff on site for any traveler needs.
Need a visual? Take a look!
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Coming soon
Auditions now open for the following instruments:
Strings, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn and timpani
Fill out the registration form and upload your audition video (requirements in form).
Accepted applicants will be notified by January 15, 2025.
Benefits beyond expectations
Travel to Havana, Cuba with a select group of your American peers alongside nationally-recognized CAYO teaching artists. Work side-by-side with Cuban students in a weeklong intercultural experience alongside peers at one of the island’s performing arts high schools, such as Escuela Nacional de Música and Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán.
Scholarship assistance available upon request.
Have additional questions? Please inquire at info@cayomusic.org
Participant reactions
“The week exposed me to how people in Cuba experience life much more differently than we do.”
— Jules, October 2024
“It was absolutely one of the most – if not the single most impactful weeks of my entire life.”
— Philip, May 2019
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